Branton died of natural causes on April 19 in Los Angeles, his son, Tony Nicholas, told the Los Angeles Times.

Branton, the only 1948 black graduate of the Northwestern University law school, already had decades of civil rights law when he became co-lead defense counsel at Davis' trial.

Davis gained national attention in 1969 when the UCLA professor was fired for being a member of the Communist party.

The next year, she was charged in a 1970 armed takeover of a Marine County courtroom. A 17-year-old boy smuggled guns into the San Rafael courtroom and armed three black convicts. They tried to drive away with a judge, prosecutor and three women jurors as hostages. Police opened fire and in the melee the judge, the teenager and two of the convicts died.

Davis was charged with murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy because she had bought the smuggled guns — including a shotgun that had been taped to the judge during the escape attempt.

She fled and was placed on the FBI's 10 most wanted list.

After her arrest, the case became a cause celebre among progressives. She claimed the guns had been stolen from her, and eventually was acquitted by an all-white jury.